Tokyo: In what they call a revolutionary step in 3D TV viewing experience; Toshiba unveiled two new 3D TVs fabricated for viewing without the help of glasses. The two new 3D TVs in the Regza GL1 series, Regza 20GL1 and Regza 12GL1 were unveiled at the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (Ceatec) in Tokyo.
Regza 20GL1, a 20-inch flat-panel display with 1,280x720 resolution and Regza 12GL1, a 12-inch flat-panel display with 466x350 resolution, uses autostereoscopic 3D technology which does away with the glasses by providing a filter on top of the TV set that will send the 3D image to the viewer.
Toshiba, after its hiatus from the stereoscopic 3D market, explored its way into the no-glasses 3D concept following Nintendo's plan to launch of 3Ds handheld gaming consoles. The viewer must sit in a specific area for the lenses to hit properly. In the case of Toshiba's glasses-free 3D TV, the recommended viewing angle is 40 degrees (20 degrees on each side) Though Toshiba possess the beginner's advantage in this brand new scenario, Sony has all geared up for the same to be followed by other brands.
Though the idea seems fresh after a survey which revealed that 30 percent of viewers don't like the use of glasses to have the 3D experience, the technology can be unwieldy and unstable with the increase in screen size. Toshiba said that its 3D technology, which is currently best-suited for small displays, provides "nine different perspectives of each single 2D frame." The company added that those perspectives are then "superimposed" by the viewer's brain "to create a three-dimensional impression of the image." "The 3D technology always consists of a trade-off between viewing angles and convenience," says Carl Howe, director of anywhere consumer research at the Yankee Group. "Glasses allow viewers to sit wherever they want; because they can control the images your eyes see. If you don't use glasses, the TV has to control which images go to which eye, which of necessity restricts the viewing angle," he added. Toshiba currently competes in the stereoscopic 3D market with its WX800 line of TVS which com in 46 and 55 inch models.
